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I made the mistake of wearing workout clothes while walking the dog today, and a stranger called out across the street, "good job! You& #39;ll get there!"
When you say "encouraging" things like that to fat people: you know you& #39;re just calling us fat, right?
When you say "encouraging" things like that to fat people: you know you& #39;re just calling us fat, right?
Here& #39;s the logic of an "encouraging" comment for fat people:
(1) I notice you are fat
(2) I notice you are moving
(3) You must hate being fat
(4) Therefore, you must only be moving in order to lose weight
(5) You need my encouragement, or else you& #39;ll stay fat
(1) I notice you are fat
(2) I notice you are moving
(3) You must hate being fat
(4) Therefore, you must only be moving in order to lose weight
(5) You need my encouragement, or else you& #39;ll stay fat
It was honestly really, really frustrating--in no small part because the person who told me was so proud of themself for commenting. They had the pride of someone who& #39;d done their good deed for the day.
But they didn& #39;t think about the impact of their "encouragement."
But they didn& #39;t think about the impact of their "encouragement."
Those kinds of "encouragement" comments are what drove me out of gyms. They shine a spotlight on me. They make my body a spectacle when I& #39;m just trying to walk my dog. And, like nearly any comment on my body, they are unwanted and unwelcome.
I don& #39;t need any stranger commenting on my body or "encouraging me" with food or fitness because that "encouragement" is always refracted through the prism of their values--which almost always prize thinness and weight loss above all else.
Remember, when you see a fat person doing ANYTHING and feel moved to share your thoughts--whether it& #39;s something you approve of or something you disapprove of--you always have the option to keep it to yourself.
